The RD to Be Series: Meet Bernadette Kilcer

August 4, 2015

Hi friends! Today, I have a special installment in the RD to Be Series. Instead of introducing you to an aspiring Registered Dietitian, I want to indroduce you to Bernadette, a patient who’s had a lot of success working with a Registered Dietitian.

Bernadette is one of our awesome clients at Biker Barre, and I’ve watched her progress throughout the last 8 months. To date, she’s dropped 48 pounds the healthy way. Wow! How did she do it? By sticking to a consistent workout routine and working with Mary Warner, a DC-based Registered Dietitian!

When I found out that Bernadette was working with Mary, I asked her a million questions. In turn, she not only graciously arranged for me to shadow her session with Mary (←stay tuned for that recap!), she also offered to share her perspective with all of you.

I hope you enjoy the interview below. Many of you have asked why I pursued the RD option instead of the nutritionist or health coach route. While that post is still coming (it’s almost done!) Bernadette touches on some of the reasons in her answers below.

THANK YOU, Bernadette, for being a total rockstar. As your friend and instructor, I am so proud of you!

↑ before and after photos

1. Why did you decide to hire a Registered Dietitian (RD)?

I have struggled my whole life with my weight, to include an eating disorder. Sometimes realizing that you’ve tried everything and you are still failing is the realization you need. There are other tools in the toolbox; I didn’t always have to reach for the hammer. I wanted to work with someone who actually knew what they were doing.

2. What did you look for in your initial search for an RD?

Honestly? Someone that would be covered by my insurance company!

3. How did you find Mary, and why did you decide to work with her?

I didn’t even know that my insurance company would cover working with an RD until I called them up to make my first appointment. That was a happy discovery. I wish I had known about this coverage years ago. The group that Mary works with/for was the only group that was ‘in network’ with my insurance carrier. There are other RDs in her group, but she is the one I started with and I really love working with her. She’s flexible, fair, understanding, and yet will keep me from going “off reservation”.

4. Can you give a quick recap of what a typical session looks like?

First we get my weight and she does the calculations based on my last visit. Next we sit down and go through my food journal since my last appointment. This takes up a good portion of our appointment time. She’s checking to make sure I hit all of my daily allowances. If I didn’t (whether over or under) we discuss why. Once we go through that then we outline my exercise I’ve scheduled until my next appointment. We take that number divide by the number of days to get the number of calories that I get to add on top of my BMR. She allows me to choose what I get to cut (or add) based on my activity level + my BMR. After we do this with any time left over I ask any questions that I’ve accumulated.

5. What has been the most helpful aspect of the sessions?

For most folks it’s probably the journal, but for me it’s the exercise to caloric intake. I’ve very slowly come to the realization that I actually can eat a ton of food and lose weight while exercising. Starving my body is not conducive to weight loss. It’s a challenging concept to wrap my brain around after being trained other ways.

6. Did your initial perceptions of what it would be like to work with an RD change after you starting working with Mary?

RDs know what they are talking about and have science on their side. Science trumps all.

7. What do you do on a daily basis to make sure you stay on track?

I measure and weigh everything that goes into my mouth. Just eyeballing measurements can get you into trouble quick. I also write everything down. Even if it is something that I know isn’t going to paint me in a positive light. In order for this process to work I have to be honest with myself and with her.

8. What has been the hardest part of the process?

Being accountable to myself for all things; what I eat, staying motivated; getting to the gym. Finding support has been challenging, but slowly I’ve found people I trust. Ultimately it’s my responsibility to get to the gym, but sometimes you just need to be accountable to someone to actually get there.

9. Tell us about your results!

10. Any tips for people trying to lose weight and improve their diets?

Not all “vegetables” are vegetables. For example, corn, peas, squash (anything other than yellow or zucchini) are all starches. That came as a shocker to my system, plus they are all the yummy vegetables. Sigh.

Journal. You can’t lie to yourself or anyone else if you are writing down every single morsel that goes into your mouth

Support is critical. You can’t do this without support. Find people who will support you on good days and bad.

Saying “one time won’t hurt” will completely sabotage you. Next thing you know your once has turned into twice, which turns into a month and then you have backslid all the way to where you were.

11. What motivates you to not cheat or give up?

I would be lying if I said this was easy. There are days that I really REALLY struggle. That said, this is the first time in my life where things are working. That in and of itself is motivation. There have been a couple of instances where I’ve wanted to go back to my past (to the dark and scary place), but Mary has stopped me, kept me focused, and kept me going.

12. For anyone considering hiring an RD, what advice do you have for them?

First find someone who fits your needs. Some people need a drill Sargent. Some people need a ray of sunshine. Find the person that fits your needs. Ultimately, though, DO IT! You won’t regret it.

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About Lauren

Lauren Rice, MPH recently graduated from the Coordinated Dietetics Program at the University of Washington. In January 2017, she opened Nutrition Elevated, her anti-diet, #bodypositive nutrition counseling and consulting small business (www.nutrition-elevated.com).

Wow, this was a great read! It’s interesting to hear a perspective from the other side. Bernadette looks amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂Be sure to check out Gretchen | Gretchruns’s recent post: Wednesday Reviews : Mascara

I will reach out to Bernadette to make sure she is okay with it (although, I can’t imagine it would be a problem since she let me post this!) I’m totally fine with it. Will send you an email with confirmation! 🙂

Hello and welcome!

I'm LAUREN, and I started Just a Pinch in 2014 when I was applying to graduate school to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. In 2017, I started my own small business, Nutrition Elevated, LLC, to help share the breadth of knowledge I learned as a nutrition graduate student at the University of Washington in Seattle!